Is too much of a good thing, really a bad thing? Is it possible that Marvel movies have been over-saturated to the point where they are causing there own cancellations?

Its not to say that the 616 universe or any other alternate version of Marvels multiverse can’t be transitioned to the big screen with a multitude of in depth story line. I think the cause is that, cancellations derive from bad business negotiations, and the assumptions that Hollywood thinks they know what comic book fans want. Case in point, we can take at least 10 Marvel flicks that have ceased to come into fruition, and decipher why they never came into being.
Daredevil 2 never came to be, because the film lacked the Frank Miller noir vibe that readers delved into. At the same time, Hulk 2 has had a hard time as a stand a lone, because Mark Ruffalo proves that the Hulk has more of an in depth story to express as a supporting character, rather than solo. If we analyze the way in which a proper Punisher sequel was never raised, we notice that each iterations failed to hold the balance of camp and drama as a single entity. This caused Punisher to have imperfections on finding the type of theme to follow. Lets not get started on why Fantastic Four 3 never succeeded. When you have a film where Dr. Doom is seen as a greedy corporate man, rather than a man in search for omnipotence, I think we can see why. Maybe I’ll stick with 1994 version in this case. While Fantastic Four 2 failed to give silver surfer that push for his solo movie, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 expressed that a number of Peter Parker renditions just simply leaves the fans in a bad state of non-continuity. The point I am trying to make is that, Marvel can often bombarded the screen with spin-offs, and will often force a concept down our throats because certain deadlines cannot be made. After all, Raimi’s cancelled Spider-Man 4 was initially going to have John Malkovich as The Vulture which in my opinion would have brought justification to the character. Yet, because creative freedom can often be controlled and limited, it is the deadlines in certain companies along with fighting over rights that limits arcs from being displayed. It’s a miracle Spider-Man will even be part of The Avengers Universe.

In the end, lets go back to our comic roots. Cancellation of comics can often be made because of lack of creative control, or cancellations based off of owners not allowing a budget to go passed a certain amount. Lets use a brief synopsis I gathered from a question I conduced with writer and editor Tom Defalco (Maximum Carnage, Machine Man) and the way in which creative control plays a factor.

Adam: I’d like your opinion. I am studying how independent artists and writers work with larger corporate comic distributors. DO you think they can work or is creative freedom exploited?
Tom DeFalco: I assume Marvel, DC and Image get similar distribution terms because they are all majors. (Yes, Image is a major!) As for Milestone, I have no idea what terms it gets. Nor should I. I would assume that Diamond will base its distribution terms on the number of books and the amount of Milestone’s promotional budget and the company’s sales estimates. An independent publisher with one title that sales–let’s say 3,000 copies for issue–does not get the same terms as a publisher will 20 titles that average around 50,000 per issue. You get the same deal when you buy in bulk at your local supermarket.
Essentially, the point I am trying to get at is, cancellations in Marvels cinematic universe may derive from how fast money can be mad. Its not to say that I am indicating Marvel to be some evil corporate entity. I am just establishing that when time and money become a challenge, it can often compromise the quality of a film. You have to make something fit, before you cram it into something that will not allow it to sustain itself.

By: Adam Vega